Donald 'Red' Grant (Character) - Biography biography The content of this page was created by users. It has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff. Warning! This character biography may contain plot spoilers. Visit our Character Biography Help to learn more. Character Biography History Discuss Donald Grant aka Red Grant is a fictional character in the novel and the film. In both, Grant is a henchman for Rosa Klebb. Donald Grant is played by actor Robert Shaw. The very tall, muscular and blond archetype created by Grant would become a clear characteristic of villains in the later Bond films, including Vargas, Hans, Peter Franks, Erich Kriegler, Necros, and Stamper. Grant's signature weapon is a garotte wire concealed in his wristwatch. Red Grant is the device used to show Bond's ability to read people, in the novel Bond is wary of Grant, disguised as Cpt. Nash, as he ties his tie with a Windsor knot, in the film his suspicions arise as the waiter asks Grant if he would like white Chianti with his grilled sole, when Grant replies "No...the red kind.", Bond gives a startled look as it is usually customary to eat fish with white wine.

Novel In the novel, Red Grant is SMERSH's Chief Executioner. He was born Donovan Grant in Northern Ireland, to an Irish mother and is the illegitimate son of "The Mighty O'Donovan", a German strongman who is involved with an international circus group. Shortly after birth, his mother died and he was consequently raised by his aunt. Red Grant becomes a killer at an early age, his homicidal urges coinciding with the full moon; his SMERSH file categorizes him as a manic-depressive psychopath and an asexual. In the intro of the novel his wristwatch is described to show the phases of the moon. After World War II, he is called up for National Service and is posted to Berlin as a soldier with the British Army of the Rhine. He defects to the Soviets after being disgraced for cheating in a boxing match. Grant enjoys killing people, and the Russians train him to become their Chief Executioner where the Russians call him "Krassno Grantitsky" code name "Granit" with some American paperbacks calling him "Krassno Granitsky". He poses as an MI6 Agent to lull James Bond into a false sense of security.

Bond then trusts him to take watch one night on the Orient Express and gives Grant his gun for protection. Later on in the journey, Grant demonstrates his weapon by shooting it at Bond. He then arrogantly tells bond SMERSH's plans and how the Lektor decoder is booby trapped to kill all Mi6's cypher specialists. Grant then attempts to shoot Bond with the gun hidden in the spine of a copy of War and Peace but Bond has put a cigarette case over his heart. Bond (who is playing dead) then stabs him in the leg and shoots him 5 times with Grant's weapon. Red Grant's father is referenced in Charlie Higson's Young Bond book SilverFin, while Bond is in attendance at a circus. Film Donald Grant, aka Red Grant, is a British national who works for SPECTRE and is assigned the task of assassinating James Bond to avenge the death of Doctor Julius No from the previous Bond film. The pre-title sequence in From Russia with Love shows Bond and Grant searching for one another. In the end, Grant kills Bond, before a mask is removed from "Bond's" face to reveal that the whole thing was a training mission for Grant.

Somewhat similar to the novel, Grant apparently was born and raised in Ireland. Grant escaped from Dartmoor prison in 1960 (where he was presumably incarcerated for life for a murder conviction) and was recruited by SPECTRE in Tangier two years later, while on the run from the law. He has been intensively trained by the organization and, when not on a mission, he is resident on SPECTRE Island. He is physically formidable, as Rosa Klebb learns when she suddenly punches him in the abdomen with brass knuckles and he barely reacts to the blow. Although it is Grant's mission to kill Bond, the early part of the film shows him shadowing Bond upon his arrival in Istanbul and taking on the role of Bond's protector to ensure Bond delivers (unknowingly) the Lektor encoding device into SPECTRE's hands. Grant uses his role as "guardian angel" to Bond when he perches himself as a sniper during the Gypsy camp battle sequence to shoot one Bulgar assassin who tries to kill Bond. Later, Grant kills another enemy Bulgar agent at the St. Sophia Mosque in Istanbul who tries to intervene in Bond's rendezvous with Tatiana.

Later in the movie, Grant shadows Bond on the Orient Express train and murders Kerim Bey and Soviet security agent Benz to hinder Bond's plans for escape. Later, Grant impersonates a British agent, Captain Nash; whom he had taken out at the train's stop in Zagreb to gain Bond's trust. At dinner on board the train, Grant drugs Soviet cipher clerk Tatiana Romanova by spiking her wine with chloral hydrate. Soon, Grant reveals his true identity, escape route and his plans for SPECTRE to Bond after disarming him. Grant also shows 007 an 8mm film recording of Bond and Romanova making love in his Istanbul hotel, as well as a forged letter that SPECTRE intends for Bond to have on him when he is ultimately found dead by the authorities. This letter would supposedly be from Tatiana, threatening to turn the film over to the news press unless he marries her. Trying to stall for time, Bond asks for one last cigarette, but Grant refuses. Knowing that the assassin has taken his wallet, Bond offers to pay for the cigarette with 50 gold sovereigns hidden in his attachï¿½ case. Grant allows Bond to retrieve them.

Knowing how the attachï¿½ case works, Bond opens it the correct way (by turning the latches inward before opening), and retrieves the gold sovereigns. With a clear hint of greed, Grant asks if there are more gold sovereigns hidden in the other case (the one that Grant took from the British captain). As Grant puts on his black gloves, Bond tricks Grant into opening the other attachï¿½ case the incorrect way, which activates a tear gas cartridge, momentarily stunning him, and giving Bond a chance to lunge at his captor. After a long and brutal fistfight between the two adversaries in the train compartment, Grant attempts to strangle Bond with the garrote wire concealed inside his 'strangler's wristwatch'. Bond takes advantage of his Q-branch attachï¿½ case again by producing a hidden, flat-bladed throwing knife and stabs Grant in his left arm, and then strangles Grant with his own garrote. 007 subsequently retrieves his wallet and money from Grant's coat saying, "You won't be needing this... 'old man.'" Video game In the video game based on the novel and film, Donald "Red" Grant is the chief enforcer for the terrorist organization codenamed OCTOPUS.

He has a female assistant named Eva Adara, portrayed by Maria Menounos. Grant does most of OCTOPUS' dirty work, but his primary mission is to acquire the Lektor decoding device and kill Bond. He catches up with Bond on the Orient Express, and survives the confrontation at the train station unbeknownst to Bond. During the final assault on OCTOPUS headquarters, he uses a spider-like machine with 4 miniguns that can also throw multiple grenades to attack Bond, Claiming to be Bond's "Guardian Angel" .This time he is killed, where Bond shoots him with a Wright Magnum and says finally, "That was for Kerim." Page last updated by BA-Baracus , 5 years ago 50 Years of 007: Who is the best James Bond? | WTOP 50 Years of 007: Who is the best James Bond?

By Jason Fraley | @JFrayWTOP October 5, 2012 7:06 am 10/05/2012 07:06am 2 Shares Sean Connery starred as James Bond in \'Goldfinger.\' (AP) 50 Years of Bond Jason Fraley , WTOP film critic WASHINGTON – Fifty years, 23 films and one legendary name. “Bond. James Bond.” For five decades, we’ve been staring down the barrel of a gun. On this date in 1962, 007 arrived in “Dr. No.” To mark the franchise’s 50th anniversary, we’re counting down the Best of Bond in ten categories: Best Bond, Best Bond Girl, Best Bond Villain, Best Bond Theme, Best Bond Gadget, Best Bond Quote, Best Bond Sidekick, Best Bond Henchman, Best Bond Spoof and Best Bond Film. So strap into your Aston Martin, shake that martini, spit a double entendre and let the debating begin. GALLERY: When you’re done checking out the ten categories below, check out this Complete Guide to Bond by WTOP Intern Carolyn Bick.

BEST BOND 5. George Lazenby After five Bond films, Sean Connery left the series, leaving producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman scrambling to find a replacement. They chose Australian martial arts instructor George Lazenby, who had studied under Bruce Lee before moving to London the year “Goldfinger” was released and becoming the top male fashion model in the world from 1964-1968. His only acting experience was a collection of TV commercials and a bit part in an Italian Bond spoof, but a chance meeting with Broccoli in a hair salon planted the seed. Lazenby only did one Bond film, but “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969) is highly underrated. He quit the role just before the film premiered, forcing the studio to bring back Connery for “Diamonds Are Forever.” Still, his meteoric time as Bond shone so bright that it tops Timothy Dalton in our Top 5. 4. Pierce Brosnan Pierce Brosnan claims that “Goldfinger” was the very first movie he saw as a child.

Who knew that the kid sitting in that theater, watching the gold twinkle in his eye, would later take the reigns in “GoldenEye” (1995). Brosnan was actually first offered the role of Bond in “The Living Daylights” (1987), but had to pull out over conflicts with his NBC show “Remington Steele.” So, the role instead went to Timothy Dalton, who carried the franchise for two films, before resigning in the early ’90s. During that time, American audiences had come to know Brosnan as Sally Field’s boyfriend and Robin Williams’ nemesis in “Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993). Two years later, Brosnan was handed the keys to 007 in “GoldenEye,” a film that became engrained in the minds of entire generation thanks to the popular video game of the same name. His three follow-up films allowed him to “bond” with Teri Hatcher, Sophie Marceau, Denise Richards and Halle Berry, but the films themselves were forgettable. 3.

Roger Moore With seven films, Roger Moore was the most prolific Bond and held the role of 007 from 1973-1985. Prior to that, he had made a name for himself in TV, appearing in shows like “Ivanhoe” (1958), “Maverick” (1957) and “The Saint” (1962). At age 45, he became the oldest actor to debut as Bond in “Live and Let Die” (1973), and his age really shows in the final film “A View to a Kill” (1985). Moore named that film his least favorite, while calling “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977) his favorite, thanks to a spectacular ski-chase, parachute jump and underwater car. Under Moore’s watch, the Bond films began moving more toward self- parody, but he could deliver innuendo with the best of them, and it was he who stared down some of the franchise’s most famous villains, from Francisco Scaramanga (“The Man with the Golden Gun”) to Jaws (“The Spy Who Loved Me,” “Moonraker”). 2.

Daniel Craig OK, so maybe it’s too early to put Craig above Roger Moore, but I have a hunch he’ll go down as arguably the toughest, most attractive, most complex Bond character to date. A product of British theater, Craig burst onto the film scene with supporting roles in “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” (2001), “Road to Perdition” (2002) and the cocaine crime thriller “Layer Cake” (2004). When he was tapped to become Bond in 2006, he became the first blond-haired Bond and the first born after the start of the series and the death of author Ian Fleming. The result was “Casino Royale” (2006), a modern action masterpiece that reinvented Bond by exploring his broken-hearted origins. You can call “Quantum of Solace” (2008) a sophomore slump, but expect big things from “Skyfall” next month, where he’ll stare down a villainous Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) and reunite with “Perdition” director Sam Mendes (“American Beauty”).

Let’s not forget that Connery’s third (“Goldfinger”) and Moore’s third (“The Spy Who Loved Me”) were their respective bests, and “Skyfall” will push him past Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby on the Bond count. 1. Sean Connery No doubt, the Craig camp will be disappointed he’s not in the top slot, but to me, it’s a LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan argument. Perhaps Craig has the talent to one day overtake Connery, but Connery is the king with six rings. How can you go against the original? The man who coined the phrase “Bond, James Bond?” At age 23, Connery chose to go into acting instead of professional football, appearing in movies like “The Longest Day” (1962) before being cast as Bond in “Dr. No” (1962). Author Ian Fleming at first didn’t like the casting of Connery, instead wanting Cary Grant, who played a similar role in Hitchcock’s “North By Northwest” (1959). Like Grant, Connery became the man all the ladies wanted and every man wanted to be.

“From Russia with Love” (1963) was his personal favorite, “Goldfinger” (1964) was his most iconic, and “Thunderball” (1965) remains the highest grossing (adjusted for inflation). He briefly retired from the role after “You Only Live Twice” (1967), but was convinced to return for “Diamonds Are Forever” (1971). His wild popularity later transferred into critical respect, earning an Oscar for “The Untouchables” (1987). And when it came time for Steven Spielberg and George Lucas to cast the third “Indiana Jones” film, they said, “who else could play the father of Indiana Jones but James Bond himself?” BEST BOND GIRL 5. Claudine Auger as Domino Derval in “Thunderball” As the Bond Girl in the highest grossing Bond film (adjusted for inflation), Domino Derval is a deliciously popular favorite. 4.

Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore in “Goldfinger” “Who are you?” “My name is Pussy Galore.” “I must be dreaming.” Honor Blackman’s Pussy Galore epitomized the trend of Bond Girls with ridiculously sexual names and left us all wanting to go for a romp in the hay. 3. Eva Green as Vesper Lynd in “Casino Royale” Bond was able to blow through women at will — until he met Vesper Lynd in “Casino Royale” (2006). Or, seeing as the film is a quasi prequel, I guess you could say he gave up on love after he was burned by Lynd. 2. Barbara Bach as Anya Amasova in “The Spy Who Loved Me” Few Bond Girls could give it right back to Bond like Barbara Bach’s Anya Amasova, a.k.a. Triple X, who allows 007 to “enter a new era of Anglo-Soviet cooperation.” Upset that Bond killed her Soviet lover, Bach has a complex relationship with 007, and steals his “shaken not stirred” line in a car-smashing assault on “Jaws.” 1.

Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder in “Dr. No” Her appearance didn’t come until late in the movie, but no Bond girl has had a better entrance than Ursula Andress coming up out of the water carrying those conch shells in that creamy bikini. The scene was so famous that Halle Berry re-enacted it in “Die Another Day.” BEST BOND VILLAIN 5. Christopher Lee as Francisco Scaramanga in “The Man with the Golden Gun” Not only does he possess the title weapon, Francisco Scaramanga pleasures his girlfriend with it. 4. Mads Mikkelsen as LeChiffre in “Casino Royale” As long as I live, I will never forget LeChiffre’s torture scene, strapping Bond to a bottomless chair and aiming straight for his cajones. 3. Robert Shaw as Red Grant in “From Russia with Love” A decade before playing Doyle Lonnegan in “The Sting” and Quint in “Jaws,” Robert Shaw played the blonde Russian brute Red Grant. His train fight with Bond remains one of the best in the series, launched by his taunt at gunpoint, “The first one won’t kill you. Not the second. Not even the third.

Not until you crawl over here and kiss my foot!” 2. Gert Frobe as Auric Goldfinger in “Goldfinger” Fat, balding and a cheater at golf, Auric Goldfinger doesn’t appear all that menacing, but his mind is absolutely twisted. His fetish of painting his female victims gold is disturbing, and his scheme of nuking Fort Knox to wreck Western currency is unmatched. He holds the distinction as the best Bond trap (the laser) and the best Bond threat: “Do you expect me to talk?” “No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die!” 1. Various Actors as Ernst Stavro Blofeld Number 1 on our list is No. 1 himself, the man who runs the evil espionage empire SPECTRE. He first appeared in “From Russia with Love,” with audiences never seeing his face as he stroked a lap kitty. Later, when we saw his pale face with a scar down his eye, the seeds for Dr. Evil had been planted.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld appeared in six Bond films: “From Russia With Love,” “Thunderball,” “You Only Live Twice,” “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” “Diamonds Are Forever,” and “For Your Eyes Only” and was played by a number of actors, including Donald Pleasance, Telly Savalas and Max von Sydow. BEST BOND THEME 5. “A View to a Kill” Written by John Barry and performed by Duran Duran, “A View to a Kill” remains the only Bond theme to hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts. 4. “Diamonds are Forever” Shirley Bassey was the queen of Bond themes, and “Diamonds Are Forever” has a haunting quality to it. It was later sampled by Kanye West in “Diamonds of Sierra Leone.” 3. “Live and Let Die” The first Bond theme to be nominated for an Oscar, Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die” reached No. 2 on U.S. Billboard charts. It was later covered by Guns N Roses. 2.

“Nobody Does it Better” Five years after he won Oscars for “The Sting” and “The Way We Were,” the late composer Marvin Hamlisch teamed with Carole Bayer Sager to write the theme for “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Belted out by Carly Simon, “Nobody Does it Better” earned an Oscar nomination and landed No. 67 on the AFI’s Top 100 Movie Songs of All Time. 1. “Goldfinger” The gold standard of Bond themes, Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger” starts off with a bang of wailing horns and doesn’t quit. The lyrics are a warning to beware of “the man with the Midas touch, a spider’s touch.” Voted No. 53 on the AFI’s Top 100 Movie Songs, “Goldfinger” is a legend of movie music. BEST BOND GADGET 5. Exploding Pen in “GoldenEye” In “Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade,” Sean Connery was told “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Pierce Brosnan proved it in “GoldenEye.” 4. Ericsson Cell Phone in “Tomorrow Never Dies” Imagine being able to drive a car with your cell phone.

Bond did it in “Tomorrow Never Dies.” 3. Lotus Esprit in “The Spy Who Loved Me” Outrunning a helicopter, Bond launched his car off a pier into the water, only for his Lotus Espirit to transform into an underwater vehicle. 2. Jet Pack in “Thunderball” Bond was evasive before he went airborne. Once he used his rocket belt clip to take off, jet pack style, the villains didn’t stand a chance. 1. Aston Martin DB5 in “Goldfinger” The crowned jewel of Bond gadgetry, his Aston Martin DB5 came with a bulletproof shield and passenger- side ejector seat. It first appeared in “Goldfinger,” and has since become as synonymous with Bond as his shaken martinis. BEST BOND QUOTE 5. “You Only Live Twice” – “Women come second” Bond was filled with double entendres, but his best came in “You Only Live Twice.” While visiting Japan, Tiger Tanaka shows Bond the ropes, saying, “Rule number two: in Japan, men always come first, women come second.” Bond slyly responds, “I just might retire here.” 4.

“Goldfinger” – “Shocking” After frying a baddie with a toaster in the bathtub, Bond says, “Shocking. Positively shocking.” 3. “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” – “He had lots of guts” After a Bond villain skis into a snow-blower and red snow sprays everywhere, Bond turns to his girl and says, “He had lots of guts.” 2. “Goldfinger”- “Shaken, not stirred” The line “shaken, not stirred” was mentioned by other characters in the first two Bond films, but it wasn’t until the third installment, “Goldfinger,” that Bond delivered the famous line himself. Voted No. 90 on the AFI’s Top 100 Movie Quotes, the line has been repeated in countless films since. 1. “Dr. No” – “Bond, James Bond” Who knew three words could sound so cool? Sean Connery introduced himself as “Bond, James Bond” in “Dr. No” and we’ve been saying it ever since. The line ranks No. 22 on the AFI’s Top 100 Movie Quotes. BEST BOND SIDEKICK 5.

Bill Tanner M’s chief of staff was both reliable and brought occasional comic relief. Bill Tanner appears in six films with various actors: Michael Goodliffe in “The Man with the Golden Gun,” James Villiers in “For Your Eyes Only,” Michael Kitchen in “GoldenEye” and “The World is Not Enough,” and Rory Kinnear in “Quantum of Solace” and “Skyfall.” 4. Felix Leiter Felix Leiter was such a popular character in the books, that when Hollywood produced “Dr. No” out of order, he was added into the script, even though he wasn’t in the “Dr. No” novel. Felix appears in nine Bond films with multiple actors: Jack Lord in “Dr. No,” Cec Linder in “Goldfinger,” Rik Van Nutter in “Thunderball,” Norman Burton in “Diamonds are Forever,” David Hedison in “Live and Let Die” and “License to Kill,” John Terry in “The Living Daylights” and Jeffrey Wright in “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace.” 3.

Miss Moneypenny While James Bond was off running around with multiple women, one woman was constant through the years, MI6 secretary Miss Moneypenny. Played by Louis Maxwell in the first 14 films, Caroline Bliss in the Timothy Dalton era and Samantha Bond in the Pierce Brosnan years, Moneypenny’s flirtatious exchanges with Bond are gold. 2. M The head of MI6, M is the character who gives Bond his marching orders. Played by Bernard Lee in the first 11 films, Robert Brown from 1983-1989 and Judi Dench from “GoldenEye” (1995) to present. She figures to feature prominently in next month’s “Skyfall.” 1. Q Of all of Bond’s MI6 sidekicks, Q is easily the coolest. That’s because he’s the one unveiling all the cool gadgets, much like Morgan Freeman in the “Dark Knight” movies. The role of Q was played by Peter Burton in “Dr.

No,” Desmond Llewelyn for the next 18 (minus “Live and Let Die”), John Cleese in “Die Another Day” and Ben Whishaw” in the upcoming “Skyfall.” BEST BOND HENCHMAN 5. Nick Nack – “The Man with the Golden Gun” Herve Villechaize shined as Scaramanga’s mini henchman in “The Man with the Golden Gun.” As a little person, he was able to fit into tight spaces, like above ceiling titles and inside suitcases in the film’s final showdown. 4. May Day – “A View to a Kill” Grace Jones turned May Day into one of the most memorable Bond henchmen (or henchwomen) by switching sides and sacrificing herself in the end. 3. Rosa Klebb – “From Russia With Love” SPECTRE’s Number 3 Rosa Klebb proved that women didn’t have to be beautiful Bond Girls. They could also be nasty henchmen. When the Bond Girl says, “What a horrible woman,” Bond responds, “Yes, she’s had her kicks,” referring to her poisonous spiked shoe. 2.

Oddjob – “Goldfinger” Throwing a killer hat with Korean wrestling skills, Oddjob was the perfect henchman for Goldfinger. He was deadly in hand-to-hand combat and could even dispose of the body at the local junkyard. 1. Jaws – “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Moonraker” Easily the most memorable Bond henchman, the metal-mouthed Jaws destroyed his foes with a slow bite to the neck. The massive brute took a beating and kept on coming, even biting a shark. BEST BOND SPOOF 5. 2012 London Olympics The funniest moment of the entire London Olympics came when the Queen of England parachuted into the opening ceremony with James Bond in a British flag parachute. 4. Casino Royale (1967) Long before the Daniel Craig movie, “Casino Royale” was a ’60s parody with bigtime starpower. Starring David Niven as Bond, Ursula Andress as Vesper Lynd, Orson Welles as Le Chiffre and John Huston as “M,” the film also featured Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, Charles Boyer, Deborah Kerr and William Holden. 3.

Inspector Gadget (1983) The ’90s animated cartoon was a clear homage to 007, with a number of high-tech gadgets and a faceless villain stroking a cat. 2. Get Smart (1965) It was billed as “an insane combination of James Bond and Mel Brooks comedy.” Indeed, Mel Brooks and Buck Henry mined plenty of laughs in the spoof TV series “Get Smart,” starring Don Adams and Barbara Feldon. It was remade as a movie starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway in 2008. 1. “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” (1997) For those who have seen few Bond films, “Austin Powers” is a hilarious guide to all the classic elements. Instead of Dr. No, we get Dr. Evil. Instead of Oddjob, we get Random Task. Instead of Pussy Galore, we get Ivana Humpalot. And instead of James Bond, we get Mr. Mojo Austin Powers.

Laced with swingin’ “Soul Bossa Nova” by Quincy Jones and multiple roles from Mike Myers, “Austin Powers” may be the most important comedy of the last 15 years and the ultimate tribute to 007. BEST BOND FILM 5. Dr. No (1962) As the one that started it all, it would be irresponsible not to include “Dr. No.” The film introduced the gun barrel intro, the quote “Bond, James Bond,” the very first (and best) Bond girl in Ursula Andress, and the villainous mastermind with an over-the-top plot to take over the world. Most importantly, it brought us the legendary theme song by John Barry and Monty Norman. 4. “From Russia with Love” (1963) Bond’s second film was Connery’s favorite, perhaps because it most resembled Hitchcock’s “North By Northwest” with its Soviet espionage plot, train car romance, a love interest that may be a double agent, and a helicopter chase resembling Hitchcock’s cropduster.

The film introduced the most prolific Bond villain (Ernst Stavro Blofeld), a cold-blooded killer (Red Grant) and a nasty female henchman (Klebb). While “Dr. No” introduced the gun barrel intro, “From Russia with Love” was the first to feature flashy opening credits. More importantly, it proved Bond sequels could work, upping the ante on innuendo until the final scene where Bond kisses his girl on a Venice gondola, dangling a film strip of their own sex tape over her head, then tossing it into the water. 3. “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977) The best of the Roger Moore films, “The Spy Who Loved Me” inspired Dr. Evil’s “shark with frickin’ laser beams” line, thanks to an underwater lair with a trapdoor dropping victims into a shark tank. Fittingly, the film arrived two years after Spielberg’s “Jaws,” which is referenced in the film’s metal-mouthed henchman Jaws and Bond’s beach arrival of his underwater car.

“The Spy Who Loved Me” kicks off with a spectacular ski-slope opening, where Bond flies off a cliff, only for a British flag parachute to open. The film features one of the best Bond Girls in Triple X and a great song from Carly Simon, “Nobody Does it Better,” written by the late Marvin Hamlisch (“The Way We Were”), who pays homage to Maurice Jarre with a “Dr. Zhivago” music box tune and the “Lawrence of Arabia” score as Bond treks across the desert. Editor John Glen went on to direct four Bond films from “Octopussy” (1981) to “License to Kill” (1989), and here he uses parallel action of the hero and love interest in adjacent rooms, building sexual tension until the bad guy attacks (influencing Spielberg’s “Temple of Doom”). Indeed, the Roger Moore pictures marked a transition from Hitchcock’s seeds to Spielbergian action. 2. Casino Royale (2006) At a time many thought Bond was dead, “Casino Royale” did the impossible, reinventing a 40-year-old franchise with the best character study of its hero to date.

It did this by going back to the beginning, Ian Fleming’s first book, and showing us what hardened Bond, the broken heart of lost love, thanks to Vesper Lynd. It was a new starting point, perhaps with an alternate timeline going forward. Daniel Craig wowed us with his complex performance, Eva Green was sultry and sensational, and Mads Mikkelsen was a horrifying villain as LeChiffre. 1. Goldfinger (1964) “Goldfinger” is the best Bond movie because each individual element became one of the best: Bond (Sean Connery), Villain (Auric Goldfinger), Henchman (Oddjob), Bond Girl (Pussy Galore), Gadget (Aston Martin), Quote (“Shaken, not stirred”), Set Piece (Goldfinger’s lair with Fort Knox scaled model), Trap (laser beam) and Theme Song (Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger”). Still, “Goldfinger” is greater than the sum of its parts, winning an Oscar for Best Sound Effects to boot.

Connery was at the height of his talents, appearing in “Goldfinger” the same year that he played a darker role in Hitchcock’s “Marnie.” After “Dr. No” kicked off the franchise and “From Russia with Love” established many its trademarks, “Goldfinger” became its most iconic. Read more from WTOP Film Critic Jason Fraley by clicking “ Fraley on Film ” under the “Living” tab above, following @JasonFraleyWTOP on Twitter, and checking out his blog, The Film Spectrum . (Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.) The 10 Best Bond Villains The 10 Best Bond Villains Most Popular By Nick Schager Apr 8, 2014 James Bond is often only as good as his villains, which is why the Internet went nuts when rumors began circulating late last week that 007's next adversary might be played by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

The Oscar-nominated 12 Years a Slave star would be not only the rare black actor to face off against Bond (at least, as his prime antagonist), but also one of the few actors to take on such a role at the apparent height of his career. Ejiofor's mixture of English charm and steely resolve would undoubtedly make him a formidable fiend, though no matter how well-suited he is for the part, the actor would nonetheless be joining an illustrious group, as the 007 franchise is renowned for its colorful — and, at times, campy — baddies. While hoping that Ejiofor embraces the challenge of taking on MI6's most famous secret agent, we present our choices for the all-time best Bond villains. Feel free to disagree in the comments. GIF Villain: Le Chiffre Film: Casino Royale American audiences are now well-acquainted with the dark creepiness of Mads Mikkelsen courtesy of NBC's Hannibal, but the Danish actor's true stateside breakthrough was as the card-playing, blood-crying, testicle-torturing terrorist financier of Casino Royale.

Equally debonair and dastardly, his rope-swinging scene with Daniel Craig's 007 remains a squirm-inducing classic. GIF Villain: Nick Nack Film: The Man With the Golden Gun The Man with the Golden Gun is arguably the campiest of all Bond films, and its funniest Bond nemesis is inarguably future Fantasy Island star Herve Villechaize's Nick Nack, a pint-sized man-servant to Christopher Lee's Scaramanga who — at film's conclusion — is foiled when Bond locks him in a suitcase. GIF Villain: Francisco Scaramanga Film: The Man with the Golden Gun Intent on harnessing the power of the sun, Christopher Lee's Scaramanga turned out to be one of Bond's preeminent adversaries in the otherwise so-so The Man with the Golden Gun — suave and ferocious, even with his third nipple. Villain: Red Grant Film: From Russia with Love An assassin hired by SPECTRE, Robert Shaw's Red Grant was a fearsome match for Sean Connery's Bond, and helped make From Russia with Love one of the franchise's finest installments.

Bond and Grant's final train-carriage fight is a masterpiece of taut closed-quarters action. GIF Villain: Max Zorin Film: A View to a Kill While Grace Jones stole some of his thunder courtesy of her unique flat-top-and-suit-jacket style , Christopher Walken's Max Zorin is still top dog in A View to a Kill, sporting bleach-blonde hair — courtesy of the fact that he was created as a superhuman by steroids-using Nazi eugenicists! — and an equally crazy plan to trigger earthquakes that will eliminate his microchip-business competitors. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Villain: Dr. Julius No Film: Dr. No Decked out in a Nehru jacket and boasting an intimidating metal hand — the result of an accident with radioactive material — Joseph Wiseman's Dr. Julius No, the first Bond villain, set the template for all future ones to come: diabolical, demented, and dapper.

Most Popular Villain: Goldfinger Film: Goldfinger So evil they named the film after him, Gert Fröbe's Goldfinger was another well-dressed businessman with a lunatic plan — in this case, irradiating Fort Knox's gold reserves, which would make his own gold more valuable! However, he's most famous for his unforgettable exchange with Bond, as the secret agent contends with a crotch-severing laser: Bond: "Do you expect me to talk?" Goldfinger: "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die." Villain: Odd Job Film: Goldfinger Silent and deadly, Harold Sakata's assassin might have technically been only the chauffeur for Gert Fröbe's Goldfinger. Regardless, he's one of the franchise's most outstanding Bond enemies, courtesy of his lethal bowler hat. GIF Villain: Jaws Film: The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker Richard Kiel's steel-mouthed madman was so great in 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me, he returned to trouble Bond again in 1979's Moonraker.

In both, the 7'2'' behemoth proved a memorable monster, able to chomp through anything with a smile, including steel cables. GIF James Bond — 10 best villain quotes, Goldfinger, Dr. No & Scaramanga - Movieline Movieline Bond at 50 || By: John Jarzemsky || September 28, 2012 01:15 PM EST 'Kill Bond! Now!' (But Not Before I Say Something Appropriately Evil) − The 10 Best Bond Villain Lines Comments: 8 || Add Yours Bond villainy is demanding work. Evil genius and a lust for world domination are crucial, but future Blofelds of the world take note, a way with words — steeped in wit and curare, or whatever neurotoxin the cool kids are using these days — is essential. Given that inevitable defeat and death are occupational hazards of obsessively pursuing the world's greatest spy, one of the few ways a Bond villain to distinguish himself from the other loser Bond villains is by delivering some of the most memorable lines of the movie. Sometimes it's the little victories that count.

Without further unnecessary exposition, the 10 best lines delivered by Bond villains in ascending order. 10. “I like a girl in a bikini: no concealed weapons.” — Francisco Scaramanga, The Man With the Golden Gun The supernumerary-nippled Scaramanga, played by the great Christopher Lee, may not be one for sensible artillery purchases, but The Man with the Golden Gun certainly knows how to dress a woman for optimal security — and cleavage. 9. “I am invincible!” — Boris Grishenko, Goldeneye As Bond films go, Goldeneye is relatively straightforward, but it does contain a few nods to the campier 007 flicks of yesteryear. One of them comes courtesy of Grishenko (Alan Cumming), the Russian hacker who ends every successful evasion of authority with a heavily accented proclamation of hubris that foreshadows his inevitable downfall. If only James Cameron had taken note before his controversial "I'm king of the world!" Oscar acceptance speech for Titanic. 8.

“The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success.” — Elliot Carver, Tomorrow Never Dies Carver (Jonathan Pryce) is a compelling villain in a not-so compelling Bond film about a William Randolph Hearst-like media mogul who uses his control over said media to kickstart global warfare. The above quote demonstrates the fine line between being unhinged and just plain evil. Fox News could not be reached for comment regarding his passing resemblance to Rupert Murdoch. 7. ““Such nice cheeks too. If only they were brains.” — Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Diamonds are Forever It's no coincidence that Bond’s most long-lived adversary was also quite the wordsmith. With this little verbal bon bon, he nicely captures the mixture of arrogance and casual misogyny that makes Blofeld (in this instance, played by Charles Gray) one of the franchise's best villains. 6. “Of course Vargas does not drink…does not smoke…does not make love. What do you do, Vargas?” — Emilio Largo, Thunderball In the hedonistic world of James Bond, it’s almost unthinkable that any character would abstain from the above-mentioned vices, let alone all three. No wonder Vargas chose assassin as a career.

5. “The first one won’t kill you. Not the second. Not even the third. Not until you crawl over here and kiss my foot!” — Red Grant, From Russia with Love Sean Connery’s Bond was a cold and ruthless secret agent, and as such, his adversaries were the stuff of legend, often digging into deeper and darker places than the more fleshed-out characters of the later films. Robert Shaw’s magnificent turn as the psychopathic Red Grant is one for the ages. 4. “This time, Mr. Bond, the pleasure will be all mine!” — Xenia Onatopp, Goldeneye This line from the 1995 Goldeneye may be in keeping with the double entendres that distinguished so many of the earlier Bond films, but it's delivered by the most confident, badass female villain (played by Famke Janssen) that Bond has ever faced. The scene marks the moment when (most of) the vicious sexism of the 007 franchise was left behind. 3. “East, West, just points of the compass, each as stupid as the other.” — Dr. No, Dr. No Joseph Wiseman laid the framework for the Bond baddies, and consequently, for the spy villain archetype itself.

He's clinically insane, emotionally detached and obsessed with world domination, as demonstrated by the above sentiment. 2. “Kill Bond! Now!” — Ernst Stavro Blofeld, You Only Live Twice That really says it all in a neat but expressive package, doesn’t it? Normally a man of refined taste and precise language, even Blofeld has his breaking point. 1. No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.” — Auric Goldfinger, Goldfinger Goldfinger's icily matter-of-fact response to the about-to-be-lasered Bond’s sneering inquiry, “I suppose you expect me to talk?”, is villainy at its streamlined best: no bad puns or goofball cackles, just pure malevolence. Nobody chilled the blood like Gert Frobe. Nobody! John Jarzemsky is a contributor at LitReactor , Twitch , and can be read semi-regularly at his personal blog, the ineptly named Super Roller Disco Monkey Hullabaloo! or on twitter @jtjarzemsky. He is big in Japan.

From Russia with Love ***** (1963, Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya, Pedro Armendariz) – Classic Movie Review 402 | Derek Winnert This article was written on 14 Nov 2013, and is filled under Reviews . Current post is tagged From Russia with Love ***** (1963, Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya, Pedro Armendariz) – Classic Movie Review 402 ‘Meet James Bond. His new incredible women. His new incredible enemies. His new incredible adventures.’ Following the huge success of Dr No in 1962, the second 007 film is more spectacular and scores strongly as indisputably one of the best in the whole series. Now, by 1963, the athletic Sean Connery has completely taken over the James Bond role he made his own, merging actor and character to a rare degree. There’s a 17-minute build-up to his arrival on screen. The production’s bigger, bolder, costlier, more elaborate and more ambitious than in Dr No. The $2million budget was double Dr No’s.

Despite having the same personnel, director Terence Young’s film-making is far more stylish and Richard Maibaum and Johanna Harwood’s screen-writing is far more confident than before. And then there are memorable, self-consciously larger-than-life villains in Robert Shaw’s blond-haired, muscle-man assassin Donald ‘Red’ Grant and Lotte Lenya’s scarily butch lesbian spy Rosa Klebb (homophobia alert!). Both Shaw and Lenya make huge, splashy impressions in their unforgettable appearances. Plus there is Mexican star Pedro Armendariz’s cool turn to admire as Kerim Bey, the amiable Turkish spy boss on Bond’s side, and Eunice Gayson’s iconic re-appearance (after Dr No) as the first Bond girl Sylvia Trench. Plus Bernard Lee appears as M, Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny and Desmond Llewelyn appears for the first time as Q, aka Major Boothroyd. Finally, the whole team’s assembled. Peter Burton, who plays the role of Q in Dr. No was unable to return so it was cast with Llewelyn, who reprised it in 16 subsequent Bond films. Q is referred to by his real name only in Dr. No and The Spy Who Loved Me.

The SMERSH villains make gorgeously alluring Soviet spy Tatiana Romanova (Italy’s 1960 Miss Universe Daniela Bianchi, dubbed by Barbara Jefford) seem to be a defector to trap Bond, as the action moves from Istanbul to Venice and then aboard a trans-Europe train where there’s a humdinger of a scrap between Connery and Shaw. Appealing and charming though it is, it’s still very much a film of its period. That means in places it’s dated a little and some of it’s a bit faded at the edges. Unfortunately, the lengthy studio-bound gypsy camp sequence has not stood the test of time and is very creaky and some of the shaky back-projections and dead-looking sets and backdrops sometimes give the film a tatty fake look. Ace production designer Ken Adam is much missed, away working on Dr Strangelove. Yet many of the production designs have a marvellous look about them. But here’s the good thing. Unusually for a film of 1963, much of it was shot on location and only a minimum of back projection used.

The Istanbul, Venice and Scotland location filming’s an enormous asset, making up for some of the creaky work at Pinewood studios in England, and pointing the way to more globe-hopping that became another of the franchise’s trademarks. And the movie’s still a glossy, thrilling and alluring treat, pulling off a difficult trick of being firmly tongue in cheek and fantasy-style escapist while at the same time respecting the mechanics of the spy thriller. Uber-baddie Ernst Stavro Blofeld makes his first appearance, played by Anthony Dawson, the same actor who plays the character Professor Dent whom Bond kills in cold blood in Dr No. Dawson returns as Blofeld in Thunderball, making him the only actor to have played Blofeld more than once. Blofeld’s voice is dubbed by Eric Pohlmann. Eunice Gayson’s Sylvia Trench was meant to be a recurring character, always on the point if mkaing love to 077 when he’s suddenly called away, but sadly this idea was dropped. The John Barry score, Monty Norman’s James Bond theme and Lionel Bart’s title song (sung by Matt Monro) are priceless assets to the mood of this perfect time capsule.

Though an unpolished gem, Robert Brownjohn’s title design also effortlessly conjures up the period. Pedro Armendariz found out he had cancer during the production, which was hastened so he could complete the role. He committed suicide by gunshot on 18 June 1963 in Los Angeles, aged only 51. His son Pedro Armendariz, Jr. appeared as President Hector Lopez in License To Kill. Robert Shaw was also aged only 51 when he died of a heart attack in 1978. SPECTRE headquarters is the main office administration building of Pinewood Studios. SPECTRE = Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. It now also the title of the 2015 Bond movie. The first Bond film to end with ‘James Bond will return in …’. Production was already underway on Goldfinger by the time it opened in the US in April 1964, © Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 402 Check out more reviews on

Question: Robert Shaw played primary baddie Donald 'Red' Grant in which James Bond film?
Answer: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE